Notre Dame 2011 Recruiting: Top Targets To Replace Lynch, Hayes and Prestwood

Notre Dame took some huge recruiting hits in November, losing five star defensive end Aaron Lynch, four star running back Justice Hayes and four star offensive tackle Jordan Prestwood within a week of each other.

Lynch and Prestwood both de-committed in favor of Florida State, and Hayes switched his commitment from the Irish to Michigan.

All three prospects were the top-rated player at their position in Notre Dame's 2011 recruiting class.

While the market for elite talent is drying up, there's still potential targets out there that the Irish are in the mix for to help ease the burden left behind after the trio's defection.

Here are Notre Dame's top targets to replace Lynch, Hayes and Prestwood.

Notre Dame's Current 2011 Recruiting Class

Five star commitments: Zero

Four star commitments: Eight

Three star commitments: Eight

The losses of Aaron Lynch, Justice Hayes and Jordan Prestwood are big blows to Notre Dame's recruiting efforts, but the school still boasts a strong overall class that's pretty well balanced as well.

The Irish have four star talent at tight end, offensive tackle, offensive guard, running back, wide receiver, outside linebacker, defensive end, and safety.

There's no denying that Lynch and Hayes were the highlights on defense and offense, respectively, and it will be hard to replace either.

Troy Niklas, OT

Niklas plays tight end, defensive end and defensive tackle in high school, but based on his athleticism, footwork, size and hard-working mentality, scouts see him as a potential star at offensive tackle.

At 6'5" and 265 lbs, Niklas has a massive wing-span, is a natural athlete with great lower body strength, and moves extremely well for his size. Learning the nuances of the position will be important, but it should come easily to him.

Oregon is the favorite to land the California product, but Florida, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, Colorado, and Notre Dame are all in the mix as well.

Ishaq Williams, DE

Ishaq Williams is an athletic freak with the potential to be a superb outside linebacker or strong safety on top of his skill along the defensive line. 

He's long and rangy, runs a deceptively fast 4.7-second 40-yard dash and is one of the most intense players you'll ever come across.

While Williams hasn't officially narrowed his list down, he says there are five schools that he's focused on at the moment, including Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Syracuse and USC.

Ray Drew, DE

Drew isn't the type of player you need to worry about causing problems off the field.  He's a hard-worker, a vocal player and a natural leader.

He'll step in from day one and grind it out at 100 percent from the minute the whistle is blown until the end of the day. An elite pass-rushing talent, Drew's size, athleticism and energy make him one of the most coveted defensive ends in the nation.

Last week, Drew revealed that he will definitely be making his decision from a field that includes Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, and UCLA.

He is not considering any other schools. 

Savon Huggins, RB

There's no one from the 2011 class who can juke quite like Savon Huggins.

He has such a broad array of moves that you really never know what he's going to do on any given play.

When you watch him play, you immediately think Barry Sanders. He's got the vision, the balance, the change-of-direction ability and simply the unwillingness to go down.

Notre Dame appears to be the leader at the moment, with in-state Rutgers second, but USC, Wisconsin, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia are new additions to a the field that also includes North Carolina, Florida and Pitt.